The morning after the battle with the Heaven-Swallowing Python, the Thunder Blade Squad left the rooftop of the hotel where they had fought through the night.
Lin Zheng's prosthetic leg had been completely wrecked in the battle. Now he could only walk with the support of a roughly carved wooden crutch. Liu Xu had it worse: three broken ribs, a fracture in her left arm, and internal injuries of varying severity. If she hadn't gritted her teeth and spent a fortune upgrading her inner armor to a high-end 9-Series model before setting out, that tail would have killed her. Even so, she could only lie on a stretcher, carried in turns by Leng Bao and Shen Yang.
"Back to the Supply Base." Lin Zheng stood on the rooftop, watching the rising sun, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We'll recover and deal with the materials first. Once Liu Xu can move around, we'll head back to Yangzhou."
No one objected.
The trip back was much slower than the journey out. The group made their way along the road beside the canal. Lin Zheng walked at the front, leaning on his crutch. Leng Bao and Shen Yang carried Liu Xu's stretcher in the middle, while Luo Fang watched their flanks. Lin Yun brought up the rear, nine flying knives appearing and disappearing around him as his Spiritual Force kept watch over the widest possible area.
Fortunately, the Heaven-Swallowing Python's presence still lingered. The monsters along the way had long since fled, and they encountered almost no trouble.
By evening, the Supply Base's tower finally came into view.
"Lighting the way home for Warriors." Looking at the tower, Lin Yun recalled those words once more.
The guards at the base recognized them. When they saw Liu Xu on the stretcher and Lin Zheng covered in blood, they hurriedly opened the gates. A medical vehicle was already waiting outside—Lin Zheng had contacted the Limit Dojo office at the base on the way.
Liu Xu was taken to the medical room. Lin Zheng stood motionless outside, leaning on his crutch. His prosthetic leg had fallen off, and the empty trouser leg swayed gently in the breeze, but he seemed not to notice.
"Captain, your leg..." Luo Fang began cautiously.
"It's nothing." Lin Zheng kept his eyes on the medical room door.
Luo Fang and Leng Bao exchanged a glance but said nothing more. They knew that in the past three years, Lin Zheng had never been this worried about anyone.
Half an hour later, the medical room door opened. The attending physician came out and removed his mask. "The patient is out of danger. We've treated the fractures in her ribs and left arm with bone membrane repair technology, and her internal injuries are under control. She'll need a month to recover, and must avoid strenuous activity during that time."
Lin Zheng swayed slightly, as if a taut string had suddenly gone slack.
"Thank you, Doctor," he said, his voice a little hoarse.
"Captain Lin, your prosthetic leg..." The doctor glanced at his empty trouser leg.
"Order me a new one. The best available," Lin Zheng said. "Money's no object."
The doctor nodded and wheeled his cart away.
Over the next few days, the Thunder Blade Squad settled in at the Supply Base.
Liu Xu stayed in a room in the medical ward, receiving treatment and doing rehabilitation exercises each day. Lin Zheng was almost constantly at her side. He ate there, handled business there, and even slept on the ward's sofa at night. His new prosthetic leg arrived three days later. It was the latest alloy model, with far greater flexibility and load-bearing capacity than his old one.
"You don't have to stay by my side every day." Liu Xu leaned against the hospital bed and looked at Lin Zheng by the window, her voice soft.
"I want to," Lin Zheng said without turning around.
Liu Xu's eyes reddened, and she said nothing more.
The other team members kept busy, too. Shen Yang spent hours every day dealing with the mountain of monster materials—skinning, removing bones, sorting, and packing. Every step had to be done carefully. Leng Bao and Luo Fang helped him, and the three of them worked nonstop in the Supply Base's warehouse.
Lin Yun shut himself in his room to digest what he had gained from the battle.
He had mastered the basics of the second level of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, but he was still a long way from using it "as naturally as breathing." Every day, he practiced the Force Application Technique in his room, again and again, until his arms were so sore he could barely lift them.
More importantly, he had gained a deeper understanding of Soul Attack.
That day at the bottom of West Lake, he had used a Soul Attack he'd comprehended from the Law of Death to heavily wound the Heaven-Swallowing Python. The effect had been striking, but the cost was enormous—his Spiritual Force had nearly been drained, and his soul had suffered a considerable shock. If not for his soul's accumulated strength across three lifetimes and the Small Cauldron's tempering, that strike would have turned him into an idiot.
Soul Attack can't be used as a regular technique, Lin Yun concluded. My understanding of the Law of Death is too crude, and using Soul Attack takes too much out of me. The risks are too high. I should only use it when my life is on the line.
A week later, Liu Xu was discharged.
Most of her fractures had healed, and the cast on her left arm had been removed. She still couldn't exert herself, but she could walk, eat, and take care of simple matters without any problem.
"We've finished processing all the materials." Shen Yang held a "report meeting" in the first-floor lobby of the A6 building. A long list of figures was displayed on the laptop in front of him. "Time to sell them."
Lin Zheng nodded. "Contact the Limit Dojo and ask them to send someone to collect the goods."
"I already did." Shen Yang grinned. "Manager Zhao will be here this afternoon."
That afternoon, Manager Zhao from the Limit Dojo office at the Supply Base arrived at the A6 building in person, driving a transport truck. He and Lin Zheng went way back, but when he saw the boxes of neatly stacked materials in the warehouse, he still couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.
"Captain Lin, did you... clear out a Beast General's nest this time?" Manager Zhao crouched down to inspect the materials in the boxes, his eyes wide.
"Something like that." Lin Zheng stood nearby, leaning on his crutch, his tone calm. "Take inventory and give us an offer."
Manager Zhao spent a full two hours cataloguing all the materials. He closed his ledger, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and named his price.
"Materials from Primary Beast General monsters, fifty-three in total. Steel-Bristled Wild Boars, Split-Horn Savage Bulls, Mutated Water Pythons, Shadow Leopards, Mutant Mastiffs... The combined value of all the materials comes to 530 million."
"Materials from Intermediate Beast General monsters, thirty-one in total. Mainly Iron-Backed Porcupines, Mutated Water Pythons, Shadow Leopards, and Mutated Alligator Snapping Turtles. The materials are worth 1.52 billion in total."
"Materials from High-Level Beast General monsters, eight in total. Two Saber-Toothed Tigers, three Iron-Backed Mastiffs, two Mutated Water Pythons, and one Shadow Leopard. The materials are worth 2.01 billion in total."
"On top of that, there are three Mutant Mastiff eggs, all in excellent condition and highly viable. At the market price of 50 million each, that comes to 150 million."
Manager Zhao looked up and took a deep breath. "The ordinary Beast General materials add up to 4.21 billion."
The meeting room fell silent for a moment. 4.21 billion—and that was only what they'd gained from ordinary Beast Generals.
"And then there's..." Manager Zhao's voice trembled slightly. "The High-Level Lord Rank Heaven-Swallowing Python. Its scales, hide, gallbladder, fangs, and bones are all intact. Captain Lin, how did you kill it? A High-Level Lord Rank monster—hardly anyone in the entire Jiangnan Base City could manage that."
Lin Zheng didn't answer. He simply said, "Give us a quote."
Manager Zhao wisely didn't press him. He opened another ledger. "The Limit Dojo can offer 10 billion for the Heaven-Swallowing Python's materials. But we go way back, and though I'd love to earn that money myself, I'd still recommend selling to the HR Alliance. They have greater demand for High-Level Lord Rank materials, and they can offer at least twenty percent more."
"Then we'll sell to the HR Alliance," Lin Zheng said. "Help us get in touch with them."
"Sure." Manager Zhao nodded. "We'll store the Heaven-Swallowing Python's materials in our warehouse until the HR Alliance representatives arrive to complete the handover. The payment for the ordinary Beast General materials can reach your account today."
That evening, 4.21 billion was transferred to the Thunder Blade Squad's shared account.
Shen Yang held a "profit-sharing meeting" in the first-floor lobby of the A6 building. Liu Xu sat on the sofa, still wrapped in bandages but in good spirits. Lin Zheng sat beside her, his new prosthetic leg nearly adjusted; he could walk without any obvious difficulty. Leng Bao and Luo Fang sat across from them. Shen Yang sat at the laptop, and Lin Yun leaned against the window.
"Ordinary Beast General materials: 4.21 billion." Shen Yang cleared his throat. "We'll divide it according to the usual rules. Captain gets thirty percent, 1.26 billion. Sister Liu gets twenty percent, 840 million. Lin Yun gets twenty percent, 840 million. The remaining thirty percent, 1.26 billion, is split equally among me, Luo Fang, and Leng Bao—420 million each."
As the figures were announced, smiles appeared on everyone's faces. This was only what they'd earned from ordinary Beast Generals. The big share from the Heaven-Swallowing Python was still to come.
Three days later, representatives from the HR Alliance arrived.
Their leader was a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a crisp black suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He looked every bit the shrewd businessman. He brought two assistants and spent the entire morning carefully inspecting the Heaven-Swallowing Python's materials in the warehouse.
"The materials are in excellent condition. The scales are undamaged, the gallbladder is highly viable, and the hide is top quality." The middle-aged man closed his folder and adjusted his glasses. "12 billion. That's the HR Alliance's final offer."
Lin Zheng glanced at Lin Yun. Lin Yun gave a slight nod.
"Deal," Lin Zheng said.
The 12 billion was transferred that same day.
Back at the A6 building, they held their second profit-sharing meeting. This time, the atmosphere was far more lively.
"The Heaven-Swallowing Python's materials sold for 12 billion." Shen Yang's voice trembled. "According to the plan Captain set, Lin Yun gets eighty percent—9.6 billion. The remaining twenty percent, 2.4 billion, is split among the five of us, giving each person 480 million." It was a squad rule. Even though Lin Yun had contributed the most, they were all on the same team. He got the meat, but the others still got some soup. Lin Zheng had always done things this way, and Lin Yun had no objections. After all, the magical plant was the greatest prize!
He took a deep breath and announced the final figures.
"Captain: 1.26 billion from the ordinary Beast General materials, plus 480 million, for a total of 1.74 billion."
"Sister Liu: 840 million plus 480 million, for a total of 1.32 billion."
"Lin Yun: 840 million plus 9.6 billion, for a total of 10.44 billion."
"Me: 420 million plus 480 million, for a total of 900 million."
"Luo Fang: 420 million plus 480 million, for a total of 900 million."
"Leng Bao: 420 million plus 480 million, for a total of 900 million."
After reading out the final figure, Shen Yang leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. "Profit-sharing complete."
The meeting room fell silent for a long while.
Luo Fang looked at the string of numbers beside her name on the screen, her eyes reddening. "This is the first time I've made this much money in one go." As a Junior War General, she'd earned three or four hundred million at most from a hunt in the past, but expenses were high, too. Combat suits and daily training both cost a great deal.
Leng Bao said nothing, but the hand holding his teacup trembled slightly.
Liu Xu lowered her gaze to her knees, a faint smile on her lips. Lin Zheng sat beside her, watching her with an expression that was difficult to describe—not avoidance or insecurity anymore, but a calm, relieved tenderness.
Lin Yun leaned back in his chair and looked at the "10.44 billion" on the screen. Surprisingly, he felt perfectly calm. In the Coiling Dragon World, he still had nearly a million gold coins Morton had left in his Space Ring. But that money had fallen from the sky. This money was different—it was earned with his life, and every cent carried the chill of the lakebed and the stench of the Heaven-Swallowing Python's blood.
"Oh, there's also contribution points," Shen Yang added. "According to the Limit Dojo's standards, Lin Yun earned more than 100,000 points from the ordinary Beast General materials, enough to reach Two-Star Rank."
Lin Yun nodded slightly. Two-Star Rank, with 100,000 contribution points. That meant he could now enjoy the Two-Star Rank half-price discount when buying things from Limit Home—a bigger discount than before.
"Everyone else has reached Two-Star Rank as well." Shen Yang closed his laptop. "Captain, when should we head back to Yangzhou?"
Lin Zheng glanced at Liu Xu. "Let's wait another week, until Liu Xu has recovered a little more. Then—we'll go home."
A week later, the Thunder Blade Squad took the train back to Jiangnan Base City.
At the entrance to Bright Moon Residential District, the group prepared to go their separate ways. Lin Zheng stood beneath the setting sun, leaning on his crutch, his gaze passing over each of them.
"Take a month off," he said. "Liu Xu can recover, and the rest of you can take time to digest what you gained this time. We'll set out again in a month."
"Understood!" they answered in unison.
Lin Yun turned and headed home. After a few steps, he looked back. Lin Zheng and Liu Xu stood side by side beneath the sunset, their shadows finally meeting. Liu Xu rested a hand lightly on Lin Zheng's arm, and he didn't pull away.
Lin Yun smiled and picked up his pace.
The villa lights were still on.
As soon as he opened the door, the aroma of braised pork washed over him. His grandfather, Lin Guodong, sat on the sofa with his phone clutched in his hand, seemingly unsure whether to make a call. At the sound of the door, the old man jumped to his feet and hurried over.
"Yun'er!" Lin Guodong looked his grandson up and down. When he confirmed that Lin Yun wasn't hurt, his eyes reddened at once. "Why were you gone so long? Didn't you say half a month? It's been almost a month!"
"Grandpa, I'm fine." Lin Yun smiled and hugged him. "I stayed a few extra days and made a little more money."
"Money doesn't matter. What matters is that you came home safe." Lin Guodong took his hand and pulled him to the dining table. "Come eat. The food's gone cold. I'll heat it up for you."
"No need, Grandpa. It's fine even cold."
Lin Yun sat down and ate heartily. Braised pork, sweet-and-sour ribs, steamed sea bass, and garlic greens—everything he loved. His grandfather sat across from him, watching him eat, the wrinkles on his face easing.
After dinner, Lin Yun went upstairs and entered his room.
He closed the door, took the sealed box out of his Space Ring, and set it on the table. Moonlight slipped through a gap in the curtains and fell on the emerald-green plant. Its six leaves gave off a faint glow in the darkness, while the red fruit at its center looked like a frozen spark, quietly waiting for something.
Lin Yun stared at it for a long time.
He didn't know what it was, but he could sense that the energy contained in the fruit was greater and purer than that of any Crystal Core he had absorbed. The Heaven-Swallowing Python had been severely wounded, yet it had kept trying to return to that place. It had to be because the fruit could increase its strength or heal its injuries, which meant it was worth far more than 12 billion.
"I'll have to find a chance to figure out what this is," Lin Yun murmured.
He carefully put the sealed box back into his Space Ring. Then he sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes.
He shifted his consciousness to the Coiling Dragon World.
In the small woods behind Ernst Academy, his other body sat cross-legged on a bluestone. Moonlight fell across his shoulders, and the surrounding magical elements flowed quietly. Memories of the two worlds mingled in his mind, every detail of the battle with the Heaven-Swallowing Python still vivid.
His insights into Soul Attack, fragments of the Law of Death, and the aura of the mysterious plant all settled deep within his consciousness, waiting to be digested and understood.
Lin Yun opened his eyes.
10.44 billion, the second level of the Nine-Layered Thunder Blade, and that unknown plant.
What he had gained this time far exceeded his expectations.
But the road ahead was long. War God, Planetary Level, Universe Level... His journey was only just beginning.
Before you continue